Hurdler's Race to be Mortgage-Free

Hurdler

Been a completely manic week - I am literally counting down the days until I am off until the new year.
Except, of course, I am not actually off as I have my first Journo school exam at the end of January and I really, Really, REALLY need to get up to speed with my shorthand.

I am thankfully working from home tomorrow and I have to do the hand-delivery cards and pressies, a TON of ironing, and tidy the house 'cos I have a couple of friends from school staying over after our Christmas party after class on Saturday.

I also am hoping and praying that an expense claim of £271.70 (or... as our ridinkidonk systems have it as £271.7023) has gone in as that will be a big boost to Vernon for next month.
I also have to see what shenanigans Woolwich have done to my recalculated sum having finally established that any time you pay over 3 times the contracted amount "the system" recalcs everything down to the original end of term.

I have made a few New Year's resolutions.
1) We have a new Project Manager who is hopefully taking up some of the load off my manager and he seems to have NO hangups about not working on the client site every day - so my plan is to go to the gym first thing on a Monday morning and then work at home, leaving early for school in the evening.

2) I am setting myself a target of paying 3 times over the amount if I can - it is going to be a squeeze in January with the post Christmas bills coming in, and also with a couple more replacement windows for the conservatory in the new year (but that should be a couple of hundred)

3) More cooking and using my groceries, and will try and cut down on takeaways... (notice the word "try")...

4) No messing about - I have to really carve out time for my studies from next year. First exam is on 24th Jan, so will be revising like mad, but will have to be really strict with myself - either taking the financial hit and eating at Pret to get OUT of the office for an hour to fit in some study, or giving up at least an hour an evening to study.

I don't normally make NYRs... because I never ever keep them, but needs must!

Hurdler

Early morning start to go pick up a parcel that could have EASILY been placed in my secure parcel box but my idiot postie didn't bother (it didn't have to be signed for or anything).
When people use it, it is worth it's cost a squillion times over, but when people are just to stupid to read a damn sign that says "Open the box, put parcel in, close the door and push to lock" then I get mad.

Anyhoo... no £271 of expenses (I won't even add the "yet" as I have no faith at all in the expenses cycle).
I got a cheque for the Centrica shares I sold - that will cover the cost of the new windows/door and will go back into my emergency fund today - luckily I have a branch of my bank down the road so I'll pop down there later and pay that in.
Woolwich took the amount their communication told me, for once. So ...

Monthly Payment: £559.50
Vernon has:


I can pay off an additional 2 months of mortgage (and hopefully as I have rounded it up to the nearest pound it will be enough to trigger another small drop)

December's House has another £1000 brick coloured in and almost there for the next...



Next update will be after Sweepsave day in the New Year when hopefully Vernon will have expenses to add to his belly!

Hurdler

Oh dear - feeling VERY woolly headed today and had to submit a Bio and a Headshot for hopefully an AMAZING chance to blog for the Huffington Post - and if they publish it... well you'll hear the squeak of glee from wherever you are, and also my first piece I submitted was about my MFW hopes!

Trying to write a bio is hard - but that might have more to do with the jager-bomb one of my classmates was convinced that I needed to do - my first!

And miracle of miracle - my £271.70 expenses went in!

Now I think I need a lie down and try and focus on the last two parts if The Killing (in danish). This is not easy when all I want to do is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

gallygirl

Hurdler wrote: »

had to submit a Bio and a Headshot for hopefully an AMAZING chance to blog for the Huffington Post -

:eek::j:T:eek::j:T Oh wow, how fab is that :eek::j:T:eek::j:T

Lois_E

Ooooh Hurdler, how exciting for you! Really hope it all works out.

I love your house with months. I need to do one of those soon. But not quite yet, I think - I wouldn't be able to colour in any extra bricks yet, and I'd get depressed about it. I just need to get this :mad::(&*@:mad: building work done, and then I will know where I am with OPing. Having thought it was all paid for apart from a little bit of finishing off that I could easily afford, I now find that some of the things I thought were sorted have in fact been bodged, and I am going to have to pay extra to get them put right. I'm waiting for a quote for the bodge-recovery work.

Hurdler

Hi Lois
I LOVED my house with months and I actually feel a bit miffed I needed to switch it to £1k chunks ... But I just have to remind myself that colouring off £1000 a time is good.

I hope you get then bodges fixed soon :-(

Hurdler

Well wonders never cease - while on a conference call I got a couple of mails saying my expenses for November have been approved for the last run and should be credited in my account by the end of the year....
That's almost £100 in "lobster" card travel and a bit of mileage so it's not an insignificant sum.

Mind you... there are bank holidays galore - so I'm not holding out too much hope that it won't get caught up in the Sweepsave transfer but that's ok. So long as it ends up somewhere!

Hurdler

Oh Grr Grrr and double Grrrrr!
I *think* I left my purse in my other bag (the one I use for lugging my folder to Journo School) - last time I saw it was to buy some crisps and chocolate as snacks from the corner shop, last night.
Then someone bought in a load of cookies and goodies as a pre-Xmas treat.

When I got home - I did take out some caramel shortbread that I took home, from the pocket where I'd put my snacks (and hopefully my purse).
I remembered to pack my shorthand book but not my purse.

And the annoying thing is I am going out tonight, so I had to resort to taking out cash from a credit card I had in my work briefcase to get me through coffees and lunch, and the all important cab home - so that will be charged extra for a cash advance.

Lesson learned there. And I am sooooo annoyed because I took the trouble to sort out my laptop bag and briefcase last night so as not to have to rush in the morning.


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. :mad::wall:

Hurdler

Well - last night in the city with a good mate - drinks, nibbles and used my emergency cash for a cab home.
Came home to find my purse (phew - VERY relieved) and my payslip - apparently we get paid tomorrow - so will check.

I had good intentions to do the last of the cards for hand-delivery and the last presents - but instead I am curled up on the sofa, continuing my Harry Potter Bluray fest (in the hope that someone may have bought me the final instalment), and typing this on the Netbook - which a lovely nifty little beastie.

Final day in the office - in Watford and then that's it DONE.

Will HAVE to do the final wrapping, cards and if I can manage it - a load of packing because if I have a chance to get to my mum's on Thursday I will - get to spend more time before various people arrive to stay.

Oh my god - while waiting for my friend tonight, I started on the 40wpm Shorthand passages that our tutor has now made available for us.
Ummm... I have a LOT of work to do! A. Lot!

Hurdler

My first blog in the Huffington Post, UK.
About being an MFW!

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ros-satar/paying-mortgage_b_1159899.html